Day 66
Location: Flagstaff, AZ
Resorts: 31 out of 50

How could we not go to Arizona this winter? Flagstaff has received more snow than Anchorage, Alaska. With 44 inches already marked down for the week, we couldn’t help but hit up Arizona Snowbowl. We were still a bit groggy from our Purgatory powder session/seven hour drive from the day before. Lucky for us, our pal Jesse from Monster Energy Drinks showed up with a car full of help.

After a shot of Monster Hitman, we went straight to the Upper Bowl for fresh turns. You need to grab a backcountry permit before you hike (it’s free) and everything is accessible from the top of the Agassiz Triple. Telemarkers have the easier time traversing over. We mostly postholed our way across, but in the sunshine, who’s racing?

We started way over there on the right

Jesse and Coco dropped some smooth arcs down the mostly untouched bowl while I slid through the sunbaked trees on the far side. You know it’s a good run when everyone is smiling at the bottom and there’s only one thing left to do…go back again.

Another satisfied customer

This time we did a closer hike and stuck to the shaded slope under the Agassiz Peak. Temps were climbing up around forty degrees, warm enough to strip down to a t-shirt. We sampled some fluffier turns down this section.

Jesse really pops in snowobard photos by wearing all white

Next time, we’ll want to get into this Kachina Peaks Wilderness, an out of bounds backcountry area not patrolled by Arizona Snowbowl. We ducked into it during a quick lap and liked what we saw back there. Stay close to the rope line or you’ll be hiking out for the rest of the day and please, please, please, don’t go back here if you don’t know what you’re doing.

And we're covered

There are deals just about every day of the week during March at Snowbowl. Twofer Tuesdays, $25 tickets for college kids during spring break and and insane Family Friday. Only $10 for tickets from 2pm to 6pm. See more on the site.

Hey, do you only need a permit to hike this bowl? The website says something about having to have a shovel, probe and avalanche transceiver, wtf? I just want to board down the mountain and have some fun!